- Biomedical Instrumentation & Signal Analysis
- Alzheimer's and Other Neurological Disorders
- Electrovestibulography (EVestG)
- Immersive Virtual Reality as a Cognitive Treatment tool for Alzheimer’s Disease
- Memory Exercise Study
- Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
- Rehabilitation: Plasticity of the Spinal Neural Circuitry after Injury

Dialling up COVID data
UM professor researching whether device could point to lasting effects from virus

Program highlights
Biomedical Engineering at the University of Manitoba is a graduate program toward M.Sc., Ph.D. degrees and/or MD/PhD. It is a multidisciplinary program between the three faculties of Engineering, Medicine and Science.
The main innovative feature of this program is not its concept nor its content -there are many other similar programs in North America- but its functional design; the proposed program will be created not by the creation of a new faculty or department, but by the goodwill, combined strength, coordinated efforts and joint administration of the Faculties of Engineering, Science and Medicine. Another innovative feature of the proposed program is its admission's flexibility: the program admits students from a wide variety of backgrounds, and tailor each student's program by taking their particular background into account. This results in a flexible, student-centered BME program that meets the degree objectives and accountability criteria of the Institution.
The main research areas of the program includes but not limited to: medical instrumentation and sensors, biological signal processing, biomedical image processing and reconstruction, gait analysis and rehabilitation, biophotonics, orthopaedic mechanics, neurocognitive science, non-invasive diagnosis of neurological disorders.
Graduate programs
The graduate programs in BME are innovative, flexible and student-centred, offering opportunities to undertake research supervised by leaders in the field.
Current student resources
Biomedical Engineering students can access opportunities, supports and resources from the Biomedical Engineering program, the Price Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and UM.
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Academic Calendar
Explore program requirements and detailed descriptions for required and elective courses throughout the Biomedical Engineering programs.
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Supplemental Regulations (PDF)
The Supplemental Regulations contain the formal academic regulations governing Faculty of Graduate Studies programs generally and Biomedical Engineering programs in particular.
BME 7000: Seminars
All seminars are held every two-weeks on Thursday from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. unless stated otherwise. Attendance is free-of-charge, unless stated otherwise, and all are welcome.
Winter 2021 Seminars
View all Winter 2021 Seminars on our YouTube channel.
Date |
Speaker |
January 28, 2021 |
Dr. Patrick Boyle Topic: Using Computational Modeling & Simulation to Anticipate Catastrophic Future Events |
February 11, 2021 |
Walid Ashraf Topic: 3D Acoustic Finite Element Modelling of the Upper Airway for Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea During Wakefulness |
February 25, 2021 |
Dr. Pourang Irani Topic: End-User Interfaces for In-Situ Sensemaking |
March 11, 2021 |
Dr. Zahra Moussavi Topic: Egocentric Spatial Orientation Differences between Alzheimer’s Disease at Early Stages and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Diagnostic Aid |
March 25, 2021 |
Dr. Stephanie Willerth Topic: 3D Bioprinting Personalized Neural Tissues for Drug Screening |
April 8, 2021 |
Dr. Jonathan Marotta |
April 22, 2021 |
Dr. Debbie Kelly |
Fall 2020 Seminars
View all Fall 2020 Seminars on our YouTube channel.
Date |
Speaker |
September 10, 2020 |
Dr. Ahmad Byagowi Topic: Precision Time Synchronization in Data Networks |
September 24, 2020 |
Susan Crawford-Young Topic: Full 3D Microwave Breast Imaging Using a Deep-Learning Technique Vahab Khoshdel Topic: Optical Coherence Elastography of Live Soft Tissue |
October 8, 2020 |
Dr. Samaneh Sarraf Topic: How a Prototype Becomes a Product? Lessons from Industries |
October 22, 2020 |
Taisa Higino Topic: Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery in the Oral Environment Farinaz Jonidi Shariatzadeh Topic: Nanoscaled Materials for Triggered Release of Anti-Scar Agents in Wound Healing |
November 5, 2020 |
Prof. Brian Lithgow Topic: Fishing or Targeted Fishing for Features for Diagnostic Classification: Is there pure Alzheimer’s Disease? |
November 19, 2020 |
Chandan Saha Topic: Investigating the Feasibility of MRI and Electrovestibulography Analyses to Predict the Response of an Alzheimer's Patient to rTMS Treatment |
December 3, 2020 |
Darion Toutant Topic: Determining Optimal Sleep-Wake EEG Functional Connectivity Metrics In Epilepsy Ghazaleh Zakipour Topic: Investigating the Effect of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation on Alzheimer’s Patients’ Speaking Abilities |
December 17, 2020 |
Dr. Ahmed Ashraf Topic: Learning to Unlearn: Building Immunity to Dataset Bias in Biomedical Studies |
Finding a graduate studies advisor
Before submitting an application for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, you must first find an academic advisor who will accept you into their research group. The advisor will initially review your academic background, research intent, previous experience and CV and may grant tentative acceptance into the program.
How to find an advisor
To find an advisor prior to application, you must contact a faculty member whose research area aligns with your own interests. BME faculty members, and links to their research areas, can be found on the Biomedical Engineering faculty and staff page. Please contact faculty members by email, and include the following:
- A current CV including publications, posters and conference participation; honours, awards and acknowledgements; and jobs pertaining to BME, Engineering, Medical, Biology and Chemistry, with brief descriptions of what you did in each job
- All post-secondary transcripts
- A statement of research intent summarizing your proposed research project (two pages max). If you have several research interests, please customize your statement for each faculty member you are interested in working with.
If you do not hear back in about eight weeks, that professor may not be interested in your application at this time.
Please note that tentative acceptance from an advisor does not guarantee admission into the program.
Faculty members looking for research students
Several of our faculty members are actively seeking graduate students to work with them. However many others not listed here are generally open to working with new students. Find a full list of Biomedical Engineering faculty members on our Faculty and staff page.
Rasit Eskicioglu
My research interests are primarily in Experimental Systems. I am interested in computer systems; systems software; operating systems; distributed, cluster and grid computing; high speed network interconnects, mobile networks, and pervasive computing. Most recently, I am looking at wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and their applications to real world problems indoor localization, monitoring, and tracking; and Internet of Things (IoT). My current projects are:
- Gait monitoring and analysis thru Body Area Networks
- Integrating WSN to Building Information Models
- Object localization, tracking, and monitoring in built environments
Song Liu
The Liu Group has openings for self-motivated PhD students. The positions involve research on the synthesis of novel antimicrobial magnetic nanoparticles, the synthesis of block-polymer based nanoparticles with selective binding affinity with bacteria and the fabrication of core-shell nanofibrous membranes for targeted and responsive drug delivery.
Katinka Stecina
I am currently accepting applications from qualified students for MSc studies. Current research projects are in the following areas:
- Mature spinal networks in rodents
- Key serotonergic neurons involved in walking
- The role of connexin36 in the mature nervous system
- Propriospinal networks contributing to locomotor activity generated in the lumbar spinal cord
- Human electrophysiology research
Hagar Labouta
There are current opportunities for graduate students in the area of nanomedicine with projects focusing on the use of nanoparticles to breach the biological barriers. Students with prior research experience/publications and experience in cell culture techniques are encouraged to apply.
Frederick A. Zeiler
Currently there are opportunities for both MSc and PhD students in BME, with projects focused on cerebral physiologic signal acquisition and processing healthy and traumatic brain injury patients. Students with interests/backgrounds in engineering, signal processing, computer science, medical and biological sciences are encouraged to apply.
Tabrez Siddiqui
The Siddiqui laboratory is interested in learning how nerve cell connections known as “synapses” form and function in the developing and adult brain. Synapses are the fundamental units for information processing in the brain. Evidence from genetic studies, animal models and post-mortem human tissue indicate impairment of synapse development and synaptic dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.
Asher Mendelson
This is an exciting opportunity that provides experience in critical care, biomedical optics, microvascular physiology, and signals analysis. The student will have exposure to the clinical environment at Health Sciences Centre in the Intensive Care Unit. The project will utilize non-invasive tissue spectroscopy for microvascular perfusion monitoring, using first-in-Canada equipment. Student must be comfortable with programming (MatLab, Python, R).
Biomedical research
The main research areas within BME include: medical instrumentation and sensors, biological signal processing, biomedical image processing and reconstruction, gait analysis and rehabilitation, biophotonics, orthopaedic mechanics, and non-invasive diagnosis of neurological disorders.
Our members
BME members have an established and funded program of research, which includes funding for students.
You can learn more about our adjunct and affiliate members on the Price Faculty of Engineering Faculty and staff page.
Biomedical research labs
Biomedical researchers at UM work in cutting-edge facilities on our Bannatyne and Fort Garry campuses. Please contact us to arrange an appointment if you would like to visit any of our facilities.
Volunteers needed
Volunteer research participants are critical to any treatment development or research. The Volunteer research participant's comments, reactions, statements and observations guide us in modifying and developing treatments and tests, and to better understand the needs of the volunteer research participant's community. You can make a difference and help shape the care and treatment of those in you community by volunteering!
Alzheimer's treatment volunteers needed
Do you have a beloved family member or know someone with probable Alzheimer’s? If yes, you may wish to enrol them in this treatment clinical trial.
This study, approved by the University of Manitoba Biomedical Research Ethics Board, uses a novel technology called repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive procedure with minimal side-effects. Our offices are located at Riverview Health Centre.
Please feel free to contact us for more information. We appreciate an opportunity to answer your questions.
Dr. Zahra Moussavi
Tel: 204-478-6163
Email: Zahra.Moussavi@umanitoba.ca
Dr. Cristina Francisco
Tel: 204-478-6163
Email: Cristina.Francisco@umanitoba.ca
Healthy seniors needed
Electrovestibulography (EVestG) technology has been applied towards diagnosis of and separation of Parkinson disease (PD) / Schizophrenia / Depression (Unipolar vrs Bipolar) / Meniere's Disease / Controls [6-19]. Sensitivities and specificities so far have been typically above 85%. EVestG is used as an objective technique for analyzing brain signals to detect neurological and mood disorders compared to healthy brain signals.
We need healthy volunteers, 60 year of age or older, to examine the accuracy of results.
Please feel free to contact us for more information. We appreciate an opportunity to answer your questions.
Dr. Zeinab Dastgheib
Tel: 204-229-3923
Email: Zeinab.Dastgheib@umanitoba.ca
Contact us
Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering
Room SP-422 EITC
75 Chancellor's Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5V6